


Family Christmas

by astradanvers



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Family, Some angst, fluff mostly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 03:56:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5570089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astradanvers/pseuds/astradanvers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s Christmas Day and the Grant and Danvers families are celebrating together. There are a few hiccups along the way but in the end Supergirl saves the day and Kara has a special surprise for her partner.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> There’s a bit of angst but it’s resolved in the end and the story morphs into fluff so enjoy. Feel free to let me know what you think, I’m not completely on even footing with this ship yet but I love it and I can’t not write for it.

“Are you sure this is wise?” Eliza Danvers asks, following behind Alex, “This woman is Kara’s boss.”

“Mom, you know she’s been seeing Cat for almost a year. Cat was the one who invited us to Christmas at her home, Kara only delivered the message.” Alex knocks sharply against the door, “Besides, Kara practically lives here now, I swear the last ten or fifteen times I’ve seen her outside of work I’ve had to come here to do it.”

Before Eliza can respond the door opens to reveal Kara in a royal blue cashmere sweater and black dress pants. “Alex,” she says pulling her sister into a tight hug before she turns to Eliza, “Eliza, it’s great to see you.”

“Kara,” Eliza says, enveloping the young woman in her arms, “how are you, my darling?”

Kara’s bright smile is something that Eliza is not expecting, after all the young woman has rarely been so happy since she lost her family at thirteen, “Wonderful, Eliza,” she says while squeezing the older woman slightly. “Come in, come in, I’m just working on dessert as we speak.”

“Kara,” a voice calls from the kitchen just as a small boy rushes out and wraps his arms around Kara’s waist, “the apples are all rolled,” he says happily.

“And how are you, Carter?” Alex questions, bending at the waist and holding her arms open to Carter who runs into them for a tight hug.

“I’m good, Alex,” he says happily. 

Smiling happily down at the boy Kara wraps an arm around the boy’s shoulders when he moves back to her side, “Carter, this is my mom, Eliza.” Kara watches the shy boy at her side study the two women before them, she rarely calls Eliza mom because she still has so many memories of her own mother filling her head. Still Eliza is the closest to a mother she’s ever had since she was thirteen.

He turns to Eliza, “Nice to meet you, Ms. Danvers,” he says holding out his small hand, though his shyness is clearly evident.

Eliza grins at the boy, “My aren’t you a gentleman,” she shakes his hand lightly, “I believe you, my dear boy, may call me Eliza.”

He grins at her but says no more as he turns back to Kara, “Can we finish up dessert?”

Kara grins at him, “Of course we can, little man.” She motions her mother and Alex further in, “Come on in, afraid I haven’t started the steaks yet, someone,” she tickles Carter’s side, “was playing on Pinterest this morning and found this apple dessert that we just had to have today.”

Carter pouts up at her, “Can you blame me? They looked awesome.”

“They certainly did,” she says as Alex and Eliza sit at the island, Carter climbing back up onto his original stool beside Alex. “Cat should be out any minute, she was just finishing getting ready.” She lifts the cookie sheet filled with crescent rolled slices of apple and moves toward the oven, “Alright, buddy,” she tells Carter as she opens the oven door, “ten minutes.”

Carter spins the dial on the timer, “Ten minutes, set and ready,” he says with a grin before placing the bell pepper shaped timer back on the counter. After his job is done, he bounces on his knees, “Can I go check on Mom?”

Kara nods, “Please, I’m sure she’s fussing over her hair or something and she never listens to me.”

“I’m telling her you said that.”

“I have little doubt,” Kara says with a grin. “We’ll be out on the balcony when the two of you head out.” He nods and scurries off down the hall, “She’s been nervous,” Kara says while picking up a tray of steaks beside the stove, “I swear to be the most confident woman I’ve ever met she truly is less confident than most in regards to some things.” She motions the two of them out the door off the kitchen, “I figured with as warm as it’s been we’d eat outside today.”

Eliza smiles and follows after Kara, “That sounds like a lovely plan,” she says, “will dessert be okay?”

With a nod Kara slides the door open, “Carter will listen for the timer and then either come get me or make Cat pull them out.”

Alex and Eliza both nod and then follow Kara outside, where the grill is already fired up and waiting, “You seem to fit in well here, Kara,” Eliza says as she settles into one of the chairs at the patio table arranged on the balcony.

“You should see her on a regular night around here,” Alex says with a laugh, “I came over one day last week to drop off a shirt I’d borrowed for a date,” her mother starts to speak, “don’t ask it didn’t go well -”

“He was a lawyer, what did you expect?” a voice says from the doorway and they all turn to find Cat standing there with Carter at her side, the small bell pepper timer in the boy’s hand.

Kara walks towards Cat, drops a kiss to her lips, “Cat, this is my mom, Eliza, Mom,” she says, slightly faltering on the name, “this is my partner,” Cat refused to be called her girlfriend, “Cat Grant.”

Cat smiles and holds out her hand to Eliza, “A pleasure to meet you.”

Smiling Eliza takes the hand in a firm hold, “Now I understand where young Carter’s manners came from.”

Cat chuckles and it seems to break the ice between the four women, “Shall we sit,” Cat says, “I’m sure Kara can handle the steaks, she hasn’t tried to burn down the building lately.”

“That was one time,” Kara says with a laugh, “and as I recall someone else was at fault,” she continues with a pointed look.

Alex snorts at the blush that climbs up Cat’s cheeks, “Anyway,” she says after a moment, “I’m bringing back Kara’s shirt and these three loons,” she says, sticking her tongue out at Cat, who’s leveling a glare at her, “are chasing each other through the apartment with nerf guns.”

“I seem to remember you and your sister doing the same things as children with your father,” Eliza says with a fond smile.

Kara grins, pressing a kiss to her mother’s cheek, “That would be exactly where the idea came from.” She glances at Alex, “Will you help me in the kitchen a minute?”

“I’ll do it, Kara, Alex is a guest.”

“I’ve got it, Cat,” Alex says, resting a hand on the older woman’s shoulder, “I don’t mind helping. Besides, I want to sample those desserts that should be just about ready.”

“Nah uh, Aunt Alex,” the words draw all of the women surrounding him to a halt but then he smiles and they all smile back at him.

“I promise I won’t sneak one, Carter,” Alex says with a grin before continuing on into the kitchen, Kara following behind her. Inside she turns to face Kara, “He just called me that, right? I didn’t imagine it?”

Kara smiles while pulling a salad and a bottle of white wine from the refrigerator, baked potatoes from the warming plate on the stove, and a pot holder from the cabinet to the left of the stove. She bends down, glancing into the oven and pulls the apple bites from the oven, “He did indeed. He’s quite taken with you,” Kara tells her sister, “almost as taken with you as he is Supergirl. I can only imagine how he’d be if he knew you can kick ass almost as well.”

“What are you talking about? I can kick ass far better than Supergirl.” Kara chuckles, “Do you think Cat’s mad?” Alex asks after a pause.

“Quite the opposite actually,” Cat’s voice sounds from behind them, “I want to thank you for not making him feel bad about saying it. I can talk to him if you want -”

“Stop,” Alex says before Cat can continue, “I don’t want him to stop, not if you don’t mind.” Alex glances at Kara then smiles at Cat, “My sister loves you, you make her happy, and I have no doubt that you love her because I can see it in the way you act around her. And that little boy means the world to her. So if he wants to call me Aunt Alex I have no problems with it.”

Cat smiles at Alex, “Thank you,” she says again. 

Alex nods and lifts up the stack of plates and bowls that are on the counter, “I’ll just take these outside.”

Kara nods and smiles as her sister steps back outside. Once Alex has left the kitchen she reaches out and pulls Cat gently into her arms, “Are you okay?”

Looking up at Kara, Cat can’t help but smile at her lover, “I’m just happy that Carter has people in his life now that don’t want to change him, to make him into someone he’s not.” She rests her head against Kara’s shoulder, “You were the first person I had ever met who Carter accepted so easily. He’s such a quiet and shy boy, that’s mostly my fault I think, that more times than not he gets overlooked. I’ve dated other people since his dad and I split but you,” she says looking up at Kara, “you were the first person to ever involve him.”

“I know you, Cat, I know that the two most important things in your life are Carter and your work. Carter is your number one priority and I would never change that or believe that I could change it, I would never ever want to change it. Being a mother is one of the things that make you the woman that I love. I am always going to involve him in my life, for as long and you and he will have me.”

Smiling Cat leans up and presses a kiss to Kara’s lips, “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, to us, I want you to be around for a long time.”

Kara leans down to steal another kiss then pulls away from Cat, “I believe we should move the rest of this stuff outside so I can check on the steaks.” She presses a kiss to Cat’s temple, “Maybe we can avoid the rest of the emotional things this afternoon.”

Chuckling Cat lifts up the salad bowl and the plate with the potatoes on them, “Can you get everything else?”

“I’m super strong but I don’t have twenty hands, we’re going to have to come back for the glasses and wine.”

“I’ll get them,” Alex says as she reenters the kitchen. “What is Carter drinking?”

“There’s some cider in the fridge,” Kara says, “I forgot to pull it out. If you’ll grab it and the wine, I’ll come back for the glasses.” Alex nods, grabbing the bottle of wine, the bottle of cider from the fridge and a few of the glasses from the counter anyway and follows the other two women out to the balcony.

“I’ll get the glasses,” she says, after setting down her first haul, “you deal with the steaks.”

Kara nods and moves to the grill, opening it to flip the steaks, “Alex, grab the pan from beside the sink too,” she calls through the still open door.

LIstening to the conversation behind her, Kara can’t help but smile, “Here’s your cider, Carter,” she hears Cat say. “Ms. Danvers -”

“Eliza, I told you,” Kara hears Eliza say.

“Eliza,” Cat corrects herself, “would you like wine or cider?”

“Wine is fine for me,” Eliza tells her. Out of the corner of her eye Kara sees Alex step through the door again, placing the remaining glasses on the table before walking to the grill and sliding the pan onto the ledge in front of the grill.

“Those smell great,” Alex says.

“Thanks,” Kara says. “Hey, Carter, did you bring everything out earlier for the potatoes?” she questions while turning to look at the boy, having asked him to complete the task just before Alex and Eliza arrived.

“Yes, ma’am,” he says with a grin, “sour cream, butter, cheese, chives like Mom likes, bacon bits and salt and pepper.”

Kara grins at him, “Good job, buddy.”

She turns back to the grill just before she feels an arm circle her waist and a kiss pressed against her shoulder, “You want wine or cider, baby?” Cat questions quietly.

“Cider,” Kara tells her with a grin, “I had enough wine last night to last a while.”

Cat chuckles, “You didn’t even drink that much.”

Instead of responding Kara leans over and presses a kiss against Cat’s lips, “Go help Carter with his baked potato, I’ll be bringing the steaks in just a minute.” Nodding   
Cat moves back over to the table where the baked potatoes have all been passed out and proceeds to help Carter doctor his up with butter and sour cream and cheese. Cat has only just finished helping Carter and Alex and Eliza have finished their own potatoes when Kara begins moving around the table, placing a steak on each plate. She deposits the pan back in front of the grill and slides into her own seat before smiling, “Alright dig in.”

“You really need a new saying,” Eliza says from beside her. “She used to say that every time I’d let her cook when she was younger,” the older woman tells Cat who is looking at her questioningly.

Kara blushes, “Really, with the childhood stories and everything.”

“Did you seriously think you’d escape the embarrassing stories?” Alex questions from across the table beside Carter.

Kara shakes her head, “I guess not.”

“Besides, I enjoy them,” Cat says smirking at Kara from the end of the table while reaching to her side and squeezing Kara’s hand. 

“Me too, Kara,” Carter adds in from his spot on the other side of his mother. Kara sighs and motions Eliza to proceed with her stories.

The rest of the meal consists of much the same, Eliza telling stories about Kara as a child, Cat adding one of similar value about Carter and Alex, Kara and Carter throwing in random bits of information or things that aren’t quite right with their mothers’ stories. This continues until everyone has finished eating and is simply sitting around chatting before someone decides to get up and clear the dishes away, “When are you going to your father’s, Carter?” Kara and Cat glance at one another, Kara had meant to warn Alex about asking questions about the boy’s father. Alex always asked about Carter and in the end she’d always bring up Carter’s father because the boy usually liked to talk about him, though he rarely ever saw him.

Carter looks down at his plate, “I’m not going to see Dad this year,” he says quietly, “he, umm, he and Linda went to Greece until June.” He stands from his seat after finishing and gathers his plate, his mother’s and Kara’s, “I’ll take these in and come back for the rest,” he says quietly. 

Cat rubs a hand down his back as he rounds her chair, “Okay, baby.”

Looking stricken Alex begins speaking immediately after Carter has entered the kitchen, “I’m so sorry,” she says, “I didn’t -”

Kara shakes her head, “It’s my fault, I was going to warn you.”

“Richard called him this morning and told him,” Cat says sadly but stops when Carter exits the kitchen again.

He collects Alex and Eliza’s plates, “Mom, I’m gonna load the dishwasher and then call Grandma and Grandpa.”

“Okay, baby,” Cat tells him quietly, knowing that her mother will be even more unkind to him than his father had been that morning. “Tell Grandpa hello for me, okay?”

“I will, Mom,” he tells her just as quietly before moving back into the kitchen.

“Mother is going to make things even worse,” Cat says, dropping her head into her hands, “but he will never miss a Christmas calling her and Dad. At least he talks to him for more than a second.”

Kara pulls Cat up from her chair and pulls her into her lap, “Cat, his Christmas is going to be amazing. Whatever Richard and your parents are missing is on them.”

Eliza reaches out to her daughter’s lover, squeezing her shoulder, “Your son is a wonderful little boy, Cat, he’s smart and I haven’t even known him but about two hours and I can see he is a very smart, caring little boy.”

“Thank you,” Cat says quietly, squeezing Eliza’s hand back before she tucks her head back into the hollow of Kara’s neck.

“It’s going to be okay,” Kara whispers quietly against Cat’s ear, “we’ll make sure of it.” Cat nods but doesn’t move for several long moments, “Why don’t we go see if Carter has finished his phone call and get ready to open presents?”

Cat nods, “I think that would be a good idea.” Before she can slide from Kara’s lap the younger woman pulls her into a kiss, “What was that for?”

“Making you feel better,” Kara says simply, kissing her again. “Now come on, I’m sure there’s a little boy inside who’s ready to rip into the presents under the tree.”

Sliding out of Kara’s lap Cat looks back to the other two women at the table, “I’m sorry,” she says quietly to Alex and Eliza, “I shouldn’t let it bother me so.”

“He’s hurting your son,” Alex says, “and I didn’t help matters, you have every right to be upset about it, Cat.” Alex wraps her arm around Cat’s shoulders and Kara smiles at the sight, especially knowing how tense the relationship between the two women was to begin with, “He’s got us now, Cat,” she promises.

Cat reaches out and hugs the woman at her side, “Thanks, Alex,” she says quietly.

The two disappear into the kitchen while Kara and Eliza remain behind, “Are you okay?” Eliza questions reaching out for Kara’s hand.

Kara moves away from Eliza to the balcony railing, squeezing it in a grip that she’s surprised doesn’t crumble it, “I want to hit him with my laser vision then use my ice breath to freeze him and throw him off the Empire State Building.” She shakes her head, “Richard does not deserve that little boy, he has never deserved Carter.”

“He reminds you of what happened in your own life,” Eliza says on a guess.

“My parents died but I still felt abandoned. And as good to me as you were, as Jeremiah was when he was living, some days that feeling still creeps into my mind. He’s been abandoned by a father who was supposed to love him. My parents abandoned me because they were trying to save me, Richard is abandoning him because he’s an asshole.”

“Kara,” Alex calls from the door, “you need to come in,” she says quickly, “the phone call didn’t go well.”

Kara’s moving before she even really realizes it, slipping past Alex into the apartment, “What happened?” she asks Cat who is standing at the island with the phone in her hand, squeezed so tight that Kara knows if she possessed her strength it would be dust.

“Mother. He locked himself in his room.”

“Stay with her,” Kara tells Alex firmly before moving down the hall. She stops outside the door with a poster of Supergirl on the front, takes a deep breath and then knocks firmly, “Carter,” she calls through the wood, “it’s Kara, will you let me in?”

“Just go away,” he demands, “have Christmas without me like everybody else.”

Kara doesn’t respond simply moves back to the kitchen, “Where are you going?” Cat questions when Kara heads for the balcony.

“To get our son out of his room,” she calls back without stopping or thinking about her words. Not even bothering to change into her super suit she rises into the air and flies around the side of the building, between the two building, knocking against Carter’s window, “Open up, Carter,” she demands.  
Carter’s head snaps up recognizing Kara’s voice but not understanding how it could be coming from his window, “Kara?”

“Open up, Carter.” He pushes the window open and steps back as she makes her way inside, “I do not ever want to hear you tell us to have Christmas without you. Your mother and I love you, Carter, and we are always going to be there for you. I have no idea what your grandma said to you on the phone but she does not speak for your mother and I. You father doesn’t either.”

“Why don’t they want anything to do with me, Kara?” he questions, looking up at her with a sad, broken look. “Grandma,” Kara can tell he’s close to crying so she sits down on his bed and pulls him into her arms, “she said she didn’t understand why I insisted on calling her every Christmas when she clearly didn’t have time to talk to me.” Pulling him over into her lap Kara rocks him gently, sliding back on the bed so that her back is pressed against the wall, “No one wants anything to do with me.”

Kara threads her fingers through Carter’s hair, “Anyone that doesn’t want anything to do with you, Carter, is the one that is missing out. You are a smart, wonderful boy and your mother and I love you. Those people who want nothing to do with you, who say hurtful things to you are insecure in their own lives, Carter. You have to be bigger than them, stronger than them, in order to do that you have to pull yourself up and stand tall.” She runs her hand up and down his back, “When you do have to pull yourself up though, Carter, here’s what I want you to remember,” she tilts his head back so she can meet his eyes, “your mother and I will be there supporting you. There will be times when we can help you pick yourself up but there will also be times that we can’t but no matter if we can help or if we can’t we will always support you. Aunt Alex,” she smiles down at him, “will as well and so will Eliza.”

“What if you and Mom break up? What if she says no?”

“Oh, darling,” Kara whispers to him, “even if your mom says no to me in a little while, I will do everything in my power to still be able to see you. You, Carter, are like my own son. I love you, Carter.”

Carter snuggles into Kara’s chest, “I love you too, Kara. I don’t want to ever lose you.”

“You won’t, Carter, you won’t.” She presses a kiss to the top of his head and smiles when his bedroom door swings open, Alex is down on her knees, lockpicking kit in hand, and Cat moves immediately to the bed. 

She climbs up and settles beside the two of them, pressing a kiss to the back of Carter’s head, “I’m sorry, Mom.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Carter,” Cat promises. “I’m sorry,” she says, resting her head beside his against Kara’s shoulder, “you should not be dealing with this.”

“It’s not your fault, Mom,” Carter tells his mother, “You and Kara haven’t left me and Kara says neither of you will.”

Cat smiles, “And Kara is so very right, baby, she and I will always be here for you.”

“Even if you break up, Kara can still see me.”

“Darling, I would never keep Kara from you if you wanted to see her, no matter what happened between she and I.” Carter nods but doesn’t move from his spot in Kara’s lap, “Alex and Eliza are waiting for us in the living room,” she says, pressing another kiss to his head, “and I believe that there are quite a few presents for you under the tree.”

“Mom,” Carter says, smile finally stretching across his lips, “can Kara stay with us forever?”

Smiling Cat presses another kiss to his head, “I would like nothing more, darling,” she tells him quietly.

His smile grows slowly wider, “Okay,” he pulls away from Kara slightly, “you guys know I don’t need all the presents, right? I know we can afford them and I enjoy them but I don’t need them. I’ve got enough as long as I’ve got you. I may have some issues when it comes to Dad and Grandma doing things like they have but I don’t need all the gifts. Just spending time with you has always been enough, even when it was just you and me, Mom.”

Cat smiles, “This is supposed to be us reassuring you, ya know, not the other way around.” Carter smiles at her then throws his arms around her neck, “I love you, Carter.”

He smiles, “I love you too, Mom.”

Kara grins at the two of them then slides forward to the edge of the bed, “Last one to the tree is a rotten egg,” she says before bouncing up and bounding toward the door, Carter passing her in his haste to get to the living room and Cat running up behind her, the smaller woman’s arms wrapping around Kara’s waist and trying to pull her backwards which ends with them tumbling to the floor as they leave the hallway, laughing and holding onto one another tightly. Before either of them can react Carter has dived on top of them, Kara is on the bottom of the pile and smiles to herself. She wraps her arms around both Grants and then bounces up on her feet, both of them held in her arms as if they weigh nothing.

“Awesome!” Carter cheers as Kara squeezes them in a light hug and then sets them both on their feet. Then he dive bombs into the couch beside Alex and smiles up at her.

“Feeling better, little man?” Alex questions, receiving a nod from Carter, “I’m sorry for earlier.”

Carter shrugs, “Doesn’t matter,” he says looking up at his Mom and Kara who are watching him quietly, “I’ve got more than enough people who actually want me, to worry about those that don’t.”

Alex wraps her arms around Carter’s shoulders, “That you do, kid.” Glancing over to Kara, Alex smiles, “What do you say to opening a few presents?”

Smiling Carter nods. Eliza looks up at her daughter this time, “Alright, Supergirl, dish out the gifts.” Laughing Kara motions Cat into her favorite chair and then heads for the tree, “You’re the one who gave our girl the name Supergirl, correct?” Eliza asks Cat.

Cat smiles, “I am and I got quite the spill about it the following morning too,” she says watching as Kara sits the first stack of presents in front of Carter, “except it would seem that after the fact Supergirl took quite a bit of my advice to heart.”

“You knew then, didn’t you?” Kara says, turning to look at her lover with a slight glare.

“Mmmmaybe,” Cat says with grin, while drawing out the word.

Kara leans over the chair to steal a kiss, “Be glad you’re cute,” she says with a grin before straightening back up, Cat scowls but doesn’t say anything. After that the passing out of the presents goes smoothly, with only idle chatter between them. In the end Carter has a rather large number of presents before him while the adults each have a small number of their own. Kara squeezes into the beside Cat, “Come on, Nerd Man, you first,” Cat smacks Kara’s arm but Kara chuckles, “I’ve called him that since the first time I met him, Cat.”

Carter chuckles, “She has, Mom, I think it has something to do with the fact that one of the first things I said to her was that you said it was okay to be a nerd.”

Shrugging Cat smiles, “As long as you’re okay with it.”

He shrugs, “I kind of like it.”

Kara grins and wraps an arm around Cat’s shoulders, “Come on, dude, presents.”

“I think you’re more excited than he is, Kara,” Eliza says with a grin. “You always have been a kid at Christmas.”

Cat chuckles, “And her birthday, that was an experience in and of itself.”

Alex laughs, “What did you do, Kara?”

“Umm,” Kara scrubs the back of her neck.

“She searched every closet in the house for her presents,” Carter says matter of factly while lifting up his first present and beginning to rip into the paper.

“You didn’t,” Eliza says, staring at Kara whose only response is to turn a light shade of red.

“Oh, awesome,” Carter’s voice suddenly takes over, “a drone,” he studies the the remote control drone in his hands, “I can’t wait to try this out.”

“Just be careful with it,” Kara says with a grin.

“You were the one talking about using it at work to see who was using the computer banks in my office for video games,” Cat says leaning away slightly to look at Kara.

“Winn,” Carter says simply while lifting up another present.

“The two of you played on them that day I babysat, didn’t you?”

“Umm,” is all Carter says while ripping into his next gift, “I don’t remember.”

“That means yes,” Eliza says, “at least it always did with you and Alex.”

Alex smiles, “I don’t remember that.”

Laughter fills the room for long moments and then Carter interrupts with a near squeal, “How did you get this, Mom?” he says holding up a signed picture of Superman.

“That you question but not when Kara comes flying into your room.”

Carter shrugs, “I figured out Kara was Supergirl when she babysat me. Only Kara would have chosen to take the bomb on the train when there were much more people in danger at the airport. She did it for you.”

“I did it for you,” Kara says firmly, meeting the boy’s eyes. “As for the Superman picture, he’s my cousin.”

“So cool,” Carter cheers before he’s ripping into the next gift. “Collector’s edition Harry Potter.” Cat rests her head on Kara’s shoulder and smiles at her son’s excitement as he rips into the rest of his presents. He even laughs and loves the chemistry set that Eliza gives him and complete series of The Walking Dead that Alex gives him.

“I talked to your Mom and she said it was one of your favorites,” Alex says with smile. “I got you all the seasons that are already out.”

Carter bounces on the couch beside Alex, “This is so cool, I haven’t seen the older ones before, Mom wouldn’t let me watch it then.”

“You had nightmares after Jaws,” Cat says, “I was not letting you watch a show about zombies every week.”

“Mom,” Carter whines as everyone else laughs. Instead of progressing the conversation further he turns to Eliza, “You next,” he says with a wide grin.

Eliza grins, “We’re keeping him,” she says with a smile to Kara and Cat who both chuckle at the statement. She lifts a present from her own small stack, seeing it’s from Carter, “Wonder who this one’s from?” she questions, smiling at the young boy. She rips into the present, the whole time Carter watches her raptly, debating on whether the present will be to Eliza’s liking. “Carter, it’s wonderful,” she says with a bright smile as she takes in the leather bomber jacket that she’s pulled free of the box.

“Kara helped me pick it out, she said you had one awhile back but that it got messed up and you had to get rid of it.” Eliza smiles at the boy’s rambling and wonders idly if it’s something he’s always done or if it’s something that he has recently picked up from Kara. “I really hope you like it.”

Eliza smiles at him and pulls him into a sideways hug, “Oh, darling, I love it.” He grins at her and remains leaning against her side as she reaches out for her next gift, revealing a framed picture of Cat, Kara and Carter together, “When did you guys have these done? Its an amazing picture.”

Kara nods to Alex, “Trouble over there actually took it,” she tells Eliza. “We were at the park having a picnic.”

“The two of you get along far better now that you share a job than you did when you were sharing a room,” Eliza says and Carter snorts, covering his mouth with his hand as he laughs.

“Now that is a story I’d like to hear,” Cat says with a bright smile.

“Later,” Kara says, “we’ve got more presents to get to for now.”

Smiling Eliza says nothing and instead picks up her next gift, ripping away the paper to reveal a couple of blouses from Cat and Kara together, “These are beautiful,” she says quietly.

“You’re always complaining that you never have enough dress blouses,” Kara says with a shrug, “I thought you’d like them now that I have someone with better fashion sense to help me pick them out.”

Eliza laughs, “Yes, well thank you for that.” 

Kara pouts even as her mother lifts the second to last of her gifts, a thin eight by eleven package from Alex, “Don’t open that one now,” Alex says, reaching over to place a hand on her mother’s arm, “wait until tonight when we’re back home.”

“It’s your father’s case file, isn’t it?” Eliza asks and Alex nods slightly which causes Eliza to move it to the pile of already opened presents. “Last but not least,” she says, lifting up the small box, labeled as being from her daughter as well. She peels the paper away and smiles at the item within, it’s a black and white picture of Eliza and Jeremiah with Alex and Kara taken just a week or so before Jeremiah’s death. The frame is made of wide, black wood and carved into the bottom corner and coated in white paint is a single word: Family. 

Eliza traces the word slowly, “Is that Kara and Alex’s dad?” Carter asks curiously.

Smiling Eliza nods, “It is, he would have loved you, Carter.” Across from them, Kara has turned her face into Cat’s neck to hide tears she wishes wouldn’t fall. “Who’s next?” Eliza says suddenly, wanting to move everything away from the saddening conversation of Jeremiah.

“Alex,” Carter says, sensing the need for a change of subject, turning to look at the woman he’s dubbed aunt, though he never leaves Eliza’s embrace.

“Hmm,” Alex hums, “if I must.” She grins and lifts her first gift, knowing it’ll be the same as her mother received from Kara, a framed picture of Kara and her little family. Alex smiles at the three people within the photo then looks up to the living people before her, “That really was a great shot, a great day,” she says with a grin.

“It was,” Cat says, “and before anyone asks the same picture is on my desk and Kara’s at the office. Witt nearly had a heart attack when he saw Kara’s.”

“Winn, Mom, his name is Winn.”

“I know,” Cat replies with a grin.

Alex grins and shakes her head even as she lifts up her next gift, this time she opens up the gift bag that’s been set with her other gifts and reaches inside to pull out a lotion and body wash set paired with bath bombs and salts in a lavender scent. She glances at Cat, “Thank you,” she says sincerely.

Cat smiles, “I thought you might enjoy the bombs and salts, they always help after a long work day and the lavender is supposed to be soothing and induce sleep.”

“It does not have that effect on Cat,” she used one of the bath bombs from hers last week and I found her in her home office at four in the morning still working.

“And that couldn’t have had anything to do with you being who knows where, fighting who knows what when we were supposed to have dinner that night.” Kara looks over at Cat, whose cheeks have now turned a rosy pink color, “I worry,” she says simply even while snuggling more fully against Kara, “and I sleep better when you’re around.”

Kara only places a kiss against her temple and tightens her arm around Cat, ever careful not to tighten her embrace too much, “I sleep better with you around too,” she whispers against Cat’s ear.

A small grin is residing on Cat’s lips as she watches Alex lift up the present that she and Kara helped Carter to pick out for her. Once all the paper has been pulled away Alex finds herself looking at box just like on of Carter’s, “A drone?”

“I'm telling you the same thing I told Carter, be careful with it, we don't need you taking pictures of bad guys with it and them coming after you.”

“Oh now there's an idea,” Alex says and Kara’s throws her free hand up in the air, the other tangled up with Cat’s. “I'm kidding”, she says with a grin, “I’ll probably just use it to spy on the neighbors.”

“Like that's any better. Carter, don't get any ideas from Aunt Alex,” but when her eyes travel over to Carter she finds him dozing with his head resting against her mother’s chest, Eliza dozing as well. “Look,” she whispers against Cat’s ear.

Cat glances over to Carter and Eliza and smiles, her son has never had a grandmother who gives affection as freely as Eliza does and she wonders how long it'll take before he starts calling her Gramma or some other such moniker like he has Alex, “They're cute,” she says.

Kara wiggles a bit, slipping her free hand into her pocket and pulling her phone free so that she can snap a picture of the two. Turning to say something to Alex, Kara finds her sister watching Eliza and Carter as well, “She always has wanted grandchildren,” she says with a far away grin. Kara starts to say something but Alex holds up her hand, “Don't,” she says firmly, “I know what you're gonna say but it'll never happen. You know why it won't.” Kara doesn't speak but makes a mental note to have a chat with Alex later as her sister lifts up her last present, “Wanna bet it's another sweater?”

Kara shakes her head, “Fool’s bet, I've got one too.” Cat is looking between the two younger women confused, “Mom always makes us sweaters for Christmas. There's usually a gift card or money hidden somewhere in the layers.”

“The trick is discovering which layer,” Alex says, “one year it took me a whole year to find it, I never real did figure out where it was hiding,” she shrugs, “it just fell out one day.”

“I forgot to put them in that year,” Eliza says groggily from her spot on the couch. “I tossed them at your feet after I realized it.”

“How exactly did you realize it?” Kara questions.

Eliza chuckles, “That year was concert tickets to whatever concert the two of you had been on about. By the time I found them the concert was over so I just gave you guys cash instead.”

“But mine was in my sweater,” Kara says, a clear memory of that year.

“You always wear your sweaters a lot more than Alex does, Kara, you actually like sweaters, your sister does not.”

“True,” Alex says with a grin while laying her new jewel blue sweater to the side. “Who’s next?”

“Cat,” Kara says immediately while Alex tilts her head, after all she knew what Kara was planning. Cat glances down to the five gifts in her lap, failing to notice the silent conversation between the Danvers sisters or to notice Kara’s slight tilt of her head toward the floor and Alex’s eyes lighting up when she sees a small box wrapped beside Kara’s foot, unseen unless looked for.

Kara rests her arm along the back of the chair, watching her lover quietly. She rips into the first gift she lifts up and Kara grins, it’s the gift that she helped Carter pick out for his mother. “Carter,” Cat says with tears in her eyes as she opens the small jewelry box to reveal a small Cat pendant with three stones on its back as spots, one with Carter’s birthstone, one with Cat’s and one with Kara’s, his name rouses the boy from sleep this time and he grins at his mother, “this is perfect, darling.” She turns and holds it out to Kara, who easily fastens it around Cat’s neck, “I love it, Carter,” she tells him with a grin.

“Kara helped me,” he tells her, “she said it would be perfect for you.”

“It is, baby,” Cat tells him with a smile, running her fingers lightly over the small white gold cat at the base of her throat. Kara runs her fingers over Cat’s arm and the other woman smiles, lifting up her next gift, this one from Eliza. Pulling the paper away from this gift Cat smiles at it, “A first edition?” she questions, “I’ve never seen a first edition.”

“Open it up,” Eliza says and when she does as told Cat gasps, “I found it by accident but I’d heard Kara mention how yours was falling apart so I figured while you probably wouldn’t want to read this one, you’d enjoy having it.”

Kara glances over Cat’s shoulder, “A signed first edition of Wicked,” looking up at her mother, Eliza shrugs.

Cat flips through the book for a second but stops suddenly, “Tickets?”

Eliza nods, “There are three there, I thought you’d all enjoy it.”

Glancing at Cat, Kara covers her ears quickly, seconds before Cat squeals in her ear, “I can’t wait!”

Alex is laughing, “Did Cat Grant just squeal like a teenage girl?”

“When it comes to Wicked,” Kara supplies, rubbing at her ear, “Cat is a teenage girl. And can we please remember,” she continues, pinching Cat’s arm, “that some of us have sensitive hearing.”

Cat blushes slightly, smacks Kara in the stomach, “You’re just mad because you have to go with Carter and I and sit through it.” Kara sticks her tongue out at her lover and is rewarded with a kiss instead, “You’ll live, Supergirl.” Smiling Kara simply leans in and steals another kiss, “More presents,” Cat says grinning as she pulls away. Chuckling Kara motions to the pile of presents still in Cat’s lap and rests her head on Cat’s shoulder as she rips into the gift from Alex. Chuckling to herself Kara watches as Cat pulls out the prank gift Alex bought for her lover, “You know I really don’t need this right? Your sister’s works just fine.”

Alex laughs, “Thanks for that.” She grins, “You actual present is in the inside pocket.”

Grinning Cat ruffles the red cape in her hands, searching for the pocket Alex has mentioned, “Why doesn’t mine have pockets?” Kara demands but Alex only glares at her, “Right, shutting up,” she mutters.

Just then Cat asks, “What’s this?”

“It’s a com that links directly to mine and Kara’s,” Alex supplies, “I had one of the guys at work rig it up. Now whenever Kara is flying around saving the world and can’t contact you all you have to do it put that on and she’s instantly there.”

“You didn’t tell me about this,” Kara says.

“You would have protested,” Alex says simply, “and Cat has a right to be able to talk to you, even when you’re chasing down bad guys, Kara.”

Cat meets Alex’s eyes, “Thank you, Alex,” she says with a smile. Cat glances over at Kara, “So what did you get me, troublemaker?”

Kara grins, “Why don’t you open your last two presents and find out?”

Grinning Cat rips into the first gift, finding a picture frame similar to those that Alex and Eliza received except the only people in the picture are Kara and Cat, “This is one of the ones the photographer took when we had family pictures done.”

With a nod and a chuckle Kara traces a random pattern against Cat’s arm, “He sent them to your assistant,” she says with a grin, “just as you asked him to.”

“Oh you sneaky little viper,” Cat says with a grin while leaning over to steal a kiss from her lover. “This was my favorite when we were taking them.”

“Mine too,” Kara says with a grin. “Open your last one,” she says, motioning to the last present in Cat’s lap. Opening up the last present Cat is surprised when she reveals a new Kindle Paperwhite, “I know how much you hate reading on your iPad,” Kara says quietly, “I figured you’d enjoy this more than the Nook. There’s a gift card for Amazon in the box too.”

Cat grins at Kara and leans up, kissing her lover fully, “You are the best. I’ve been debating on which one to buy. I’d finally decided on this one a few days ago.” She rests her head back against Kara’s shoulder and snuggles back into her lover’s side, “It’s your turn.”

Kara smiles, shakes her head, “I’ve got what I want,” she says quietly, “my family.”

Looking up to Kara, Cat smiles, she presses another kiss to her lover’s lips then motions to the presents in Kara’s lap, “Open them anyway.”

The first two presents Kare opens are from Eliza and Alex, the sweater she knew she’d get and a bath set similar to the one Cat got Alex but with apple blossom scent instead of lavender. After she’s thanked her mother and sister she lifts up the next sloppily wrapped present and she knows it’s the one from Carter without even glancing at the tag. Peeling away the paper she smiles when she reveals a black goose down feather vest. She knows Cat helped him pick it out but let him wrap it all on his own, “Carter, this is awesome. I love it.” She laughs, “How’d you know I wanted one of these?”

“You stare at them every time we go shopping, Kara, but you won’t just buy one.” He shrugs, “So it’s what I decided to get you.”

Kara shakes her head, “Thank you, buddy.”

He smiles, “You’re welcome, Kara.”

Smiling at him still Kara lifts her present from Cat up and begins to rip the paper away, “So what exactly did you get for me, Kit Cat?” she questions with a grin.

“I told you never to call me that,” Cat nearly growls.

“And I told you I was never losing that nickname because it pisses you off so much.”

Inside of the wrapping paper Kara finds two boxes, the one on top is a slate, a drawing thing she can connect to her iPad and instantly digitize her drawing. The second box is a sketching and drawing easel set and she draws in a deep breath, it has everything inside from graphite pencils and color pencils to a sandpaper block and a sharpener. When she looks over at Cat she’s got tears in her eyes, “How did you -”

“I’ve seen you sketching away in that sketch pad you think no one knows about in your desk at work. I think it’s about time you have the proper tools to advance that talent.” Kara smiles at her and leans down to kiss her tenderly, “I love it, baby,” she tells Cat quietly, “thank you.” She rests her head on top of Cat’s for a moment then glances at Carter, “Nerd Man, will you grab us a trash bag from the kitchen?”

Carter nods, “Sure, Kara,” he bounces off of the couch and heads for the kitchen. Using her super hearing she knows the minute he heads back toward the living room and she slips out of her spot beside Cat.

Dropping down in front of the chair, pretending to pick up wrapping paper, her hand wraps around the small present there. “Oh look,” she says lifting the little box, with it balanced on the ends of her fingers. “I wonder who this belongs to,” she pretends to glance at the top of it, “to Cat from Santa. Huh,” she says, holding the box at to Cat, “Looks like you’ve got one more present to open.”

Cat takes the small box in her hands, studying Kara who makes no attempt to stand, instead remaining on one knee, her arms crossed over the one forming an L over the floor, “What’s this?”

“Why don’t you open it and find out?” Kara tells her. Carter and Alex are watching the two women closely, waiting. Cat slowly rips into the paper, hands slightly shaking for a reason she’s not sure she wants to acknowledge. When she reveals a small jewelry box, similar to the one that housed the necklace Carter gave her she tells herself it’s earrings or another necklace. Instead she opens the small jewelry box and finds a beautiful ring inside, there are three black diamonds in the center of the ring with smaller white diamond stretching down halfway along each side of the white gold band. Reaching up Kara slips the ring box out of a stunned Cat’s hand, “Black diamonds are your favorite,” she says, “you’d never admit it to anyone but I know it. When I saw this ring I knew it had to be yours, the three diamonds, you, Carter and me.” She smiles, reaching out with her free hand to brush a few tears away from Cat’s cheek, even though Cat’s been emotional over her gifts it’s the first time she’s ever cried in front of anyone besides Kara or Carter. “I love you, Cat. I think I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you. You have made me a better person and without you I would not know how to be the person that I am today.” She takes Cat’s hand in her own, squeezing it, “I want the two of us to grow together, to become better together. Will you marry me?”

Smiling widely through her tears Cat launches herself into Kara’s arms, knocking the Kryptonian over in surprise, “Yes,” Cat says happily, pressing a kiss to Kara’s lips.  
“Yes!” Carter cheers before diving into the pile of bodies that is his mother and her partner. He wiggles his way into their hold and smiles when they each adjust accordingly, holding him. “Mom,” he says, looking at him mother with a happy smile, “we’re gonna be a family.”

Cat smiles, she’s always known Carter felt something was missing from their family unit, she has too but now it appears they’ve finally found what was missing. “Yeah, baby,” she tells him quietly, pressing a kiss to his head, “we are.”


End file.
